


The Avengers Make A Friend and (Don't) Mend A Brotherhood

by Eternal_Love_Song



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Female Loki, Friendship, Gen, Loki Does What He Wants, Surprise Pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-04 02:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1762459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternal_Love_Song/pseuds/Eternal_Love_Song
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avengers feel sorry that Thor misses his brother and each decide to take it upon themselves to help, without consulting the rest of team. </p><p>A series of coincidences that lead to the Team bonding with Loki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this two weeks ago and haven't been able to decide how it ends. So after much debate and delay and generally frustrating myself because I love this idea but am stuck on the precise way I want to end it, I decided to just go ahead and post it! 
> 
> So, knowing that, I very much hope that you will leave me feedback and comments.  
> Now, enjoy~

Clint didn't know what he would do if the rest of the team had ever found out. He might be mortified, or more likely mummified if they thought him still compromised, but for some reason, he did it anyway.

It was dangerous and completely irresponsible, probably irrational, but he did it anyway. Whenever he could be sure he wasn't being followed and wouldn't get caught -- and oh, he went through great pains to be sure he wouldn't get caught -- he would go to the most out of the way, unassuming, building he had ever seen and he would do target practice until He showed up. It was at least once a week, but he tried not to make a habit of it. Natasha tracked habits and got curious very easily, so he couldn't do the same thing at the same time in the same month without being slightly scrutinized. He came anyway, though. Somehow, always knowing when Clint was there.

It had only taken a week after Loki was taken back to Asgard for Clint to miss the guy. Because, while he had told everyone what an awful thing it was to be controlled by Loki, it really wasn't. He'd felt like he had purpose, like he was truly valued, and Loki... really wasn't so bad. The Tesseract had drove Selvig crazy, not Loki, though maybe it was still Loki's fault. Still, he hadn't been treated badly. Loki never even gave him commands, really. The scepter had touched his chest and he wanted to help Loki, that was all. No impulses to do what he wouldn't normally do, just a change of who he was doing it for. And really, while he was with the guy, Loki had told him what he needed and Clint and come up with the plan for most of it.

Clint had told Loki everything about the Avengers, had said things about Natasha that he wouldn't have revealed under torture -- things about how he felt about Natasha -- but Loki had also told him things in return. Loki had talked about what the Chitauri did, what Odin did, what Thor did, and most especially, what the latter two did not do. Clint had had stranger friendships, stranger partnerships, based on less. And it was rather nice when every three sentences out the guys mouth were honest to god complements. (And he knew they were honest, because you didn't have to complement people you mind controlled. Aside from one or two tossed at Selvig, he didn't complement anyone else.)

After Natasha had knocked him out, he only told her that it was awful so that SHIELD wouldn't think him still compromised. At first, he thought he'd be able to shake it off, but the weeks stretched on and he just went on missing Loki like he'd lost friend. Then Loki escaped Asgard and went on to menace them -- luckily no longer to rule them, but definitely causing trouble for the sake of trouble -- and Thor went on about how much he missed his brother, making Clint miss Loki times two. And finally, after a month or two, Clint secretly went off to the hideout that he had shown Loki, just for nostalgia sake, down into the underground facility, and there he was. Loki. Sitting with a book on his lap as if he was meant to be there. He had looked up at Clint's approach, faintly surprised, and said, "Agent Barton. Greetings."

He hadn't moved much, Clint could see him poised to flee. Trying to make his movements as casual as possible, he took a few tentative steps into the room. "I thought I'd come here for practice. The Avengers get a little out of hand sometimes."

"Yes, I'd imagine."

Feigning calm, he took a few shots at the wall. "You could stand to improve, you know. Thor claims that you've got good aim with those knives, but you didn't hit a single one of us today."

"I was merely being charitable," Loki snapped primly.

"Yeah, sure. Or you're our of practice." Clint made certain to keep his focus on the wall, only looking at Loki through his peripheral.

"Would you like me to show you how good my aim is, Agent Barton?"

"Now that you mention it, yes."

Loki kept his gaze on Clint, curious now. He rose, setting his book aside, and without looking away from Clint, flicked his wrist and sent a knife sailing straight into the bulls eye at the center of the room. "You were saying."

"Lucky shot."

They bantered and practiced an hour more. Neither of them asked what the other had been doing there and from the bareness that Clint observed, Loki hadn't made the place his hideout. It had felt like a blow to leave. He didn't think he'd get the chance to do this again. Unlike Thor, he wasn't going to plead for Loki in front of the other Avengers. He had expected the place to be empty when he returned the next day, but was pleasantly surprised. And surprised again the next week. The third time, Loki arrived just after him and that was how he had been certain that these meeting would continue. Strange as it was, he'd gotten his friend back.

It was the next month that Loki subtly inquired about Thor.

It was the week after that that Clint was certain he could get Thor's baby brother back for him.

* * *

 

Steve wasn't sure what made him reach out the first time. It was probably a combination of Thor's words weighing heavily on him and the opportunity presenting itself. They had been in battle with several of their enemies at once when they had scattered, retreating under some signal they had all missed. The team separated to chase their respective targets and Steve had followed Loki, who had run instead of teleporting for once. He had chased him to a back alley where the other man looked all but caught.

"Give it up, Loki. It's over."

Loki grinned, amused. "Over? Captain, this is just the beginning. I'm enjoying myself far too much for it to be over."

Something about the grin that Loki wore, the fact that he didn't seem to have ryhym or reason to his attacks, the fact that he had to listen to Thor saying how great his brother and how much he missed him, made Steve snap. "Why are you doing this?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Did I not just say?"

"Why are you doing this to Thor?" Steve clarified and Loki pressed his lips into a thin line. "Your brother misses you! He'd forgive you right now if you just stopped doing things like this."

"Who says that I want--"

"You know all he does nowadays is talk about you! Don't you miss him? At all?" Steve questioned. "You've been together for... I don't even know how long."

"And no one seems to consider that that may be the problem," Loki replied seriously.

"If that's the problem, why hang around on Earth? Aren't there nine other realms to chose from?"

Loki's irritated gaze and severe frown were focused intensely on Steve's face. He held the Captain's eyes and a moment before he spoke. "I tire of this conversation, Captain." Then Loki teleported away.

Of course, being Captain America, he couldn't just let a talk like that go. The next time he had Loki cornered in battle, he questioned him again. "What did you mean last time? About the time you and Thor spent together being a problem?"

"Are you still on about that?" Loki asked frustrated as he tossed a few knives at the other Avengers and Steve rushed to block with his shield. "You and Thor, like a dog with a bone."

"Maybe if you talked about it, it could be resolved. Instead of just showing up to cause a mess."

Loki had his full attention on him, now, doing as he so rarely did and attacking directly with his fist. "You assume that I want to resolve something, Captain? How presumptuous."

"There are better ways to get his attention."

Loki growled and charged him. "It is Not. Always. About. Thor." The last word ended with Loki grabbing him and slamming him to the ground just before Iron Man blasted him off his feet.

"You alright, Cap?"

"Yeah," Steve said as he forced himself up, feeling every inch of his back where it had met with the ground. "I'm... yeah..."

Steve looked around for Loki to find the other glaring at him before teleporting away. Steve sighed. He really didn't know why he was bothering. Except that it would make Thor feel better if Loki would at least talk to him and Thor was his friend and he just wanted to help!

Well, no one had ever called him a quitter before.

Once a battle he found a way to say something to Loki.

"What do you really want to get out of this, Loki?"

"What makes you think I'm not getting exactly what I want?"  
\--------------

"Is this really fun to you? Causing so much destruction?"

  
"You cause more destruction than I do, Captain. You and your team seem of little control, wouldn't you say?" A pause. "Well, you and Doom."

\--------------

  
"Why are you working with Doom, anyway? If you don't want to cause destruction?"

  
"I never claimed that I did not like destruction, Captain, simply that you cause more of it."

  
Steve let out a frustrated sigh. "And Doom?"

  
"You working with other heroes on occasion, do you not?"  
\--------------

"Is everything a riddle with you?"

"Can you not parse my meaning?"  
\-------------

"How is anyone suppose to understand you if you won't tell anybody what you want?"

"You are assuming again, Captain, that I want to be understood."

"You never say what you mean!"

"That is not true, Captain. I said say so plainly the first time that we spoke. But no one believes me when I speak plainly."  
\--------------

"Is that why you're mad at Thor?"

"And no one believes me when I say that not everything is about Thor."  
\--------------

"Hey, Cap," Iron Man began after one of their battles. "Is it just me, or has Loki seemed to be targeting you, lately?"

Steve looked at him surprised. "Has he been?"

"Yeah... What, you didn't notice? He practically ignored the rest of us this entire fight."

Steve was vaguely appalled that he hadn't noticed. That Loki had distracted him from watching out for his team. He might have wanted to help Loki for Thor -- or maybe just help Loki for the sake of helping Loki, by this point -- but he couldn't ignore the team.

The next two battles he payed careful attention to the rest of the team, afraid of failing them.

The battle after that, Loki cornered him.

"Done with trying to coerce me, Captain?" Loki asked seethingly.

"I'm trying to look out for my team! I won't let you distract me from protecting them."

The following battles had no less than two Loki's and one, almost assuredly, cornered Captain America and got him alone.

* * *

 

Tony Stark did not need reasons to do things. When an idea popped into his head, he usually did it without complete -- or sometimes any -- thought to the consequences. Yeah, it was something of a problem. That said, even he had a problem when he found, at one of his favorite bars, the God of Mischief just... for lack of a better term, hanging out.

He didn't recognize the god, at first. At first, he'd thought that he was just being his usual playboy self. Sitting himself down at a VIP table that was already occupied -- because sometimes it was more fun to insert yourself where you didn't belong and just watch the sparks fly -- and ordered a round of shots. There were already five people at the table, but hey, the more the merrier!

One of the guys shot him distinctively unimpressed looks the entire night, but he ignored him in favor of getting the attention of the two women he had slid himself between. It wasn't until half the table had went off to dance that the other woman spoke to him. "My, you do know how to cause a stir, don't you?"

To be fair, he had had a lot of shots. It was not his fault that he didn't immediately recognize the accent. He gave her a million dollar grin -- like, literal a million dollars, he'd sold shots of himself to the press before, he knew his worth -- and replied with his usual boasting. "I'm Tony Stark! That alone requires me to cause at least one disturbance in every room that I enter."

She laughed. "Is that so?"

"Damn straight!"

"And is this the extent of your... disturbance?" She questioned coyly, hand tracing patters on the table near his, looking up through her lashes. "Simply inviting yourself to a table where you are not invited?"

He leaned toward her. "Never count me out for anything, babe."

"Then perhaps you'd be up for something more... mischievous?" She met his eyes, then glanced towards the dance floor. "I've been told I can do absolutely wicked things with my body."

He returned her grin. "Baby, you have all my attention." He slid from the table. "Let's do this."

The things she did on the dance floor were too wicked to be called dancing and, despite having all his attention, she was not so singularly focused. She kept a good amount of attention of him, but she pulled several others to dance with her, with them, between them... it was masterfully done. He didn't know what persuaded him to ask, but he did. "Hey, I don't think I caught your name."

"You didn't," She agreed. "Why don't you guess?"

"Amber?"

"I'm partial to the letter L."

"Lola."

"Alright," she laughed. "Tonight, I'll be your Lola."

The night from there was mostly a blur. The most fantastic blur he could not remember having. And, surprisingly, he did not go home with Lola. Somehow, after they had gotten back to the table and they were sitting close enough to be heard over the music, she had switched places with one of the other women at the table and pushed her into his lap, grinning widely as his tongue ended up down this other woman's throat.

It was only once he was leaving, walking out with Lola and the other woman, that Lola spoke. "It figures that you are the type to keep a girl waiting, Stark."

"What do you mean?" He was definitely drunk.

"What's it been, now, a year, two, before you finally got around to buying me that drink?"

"What?" They had just stepped outside, the light above the place illuminating them, and now he realized that 'Lola' had very familiar features. Like bright green eyes and sharp features and there was no way that that could be --

"Though I think these circumstances suit much better, wouldn't you?" And now he recognized that grin, too. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Stark. Perhaps next time I shall buy you a drink." He turned and went down the alley on the side of the building.

Intoxicated as he was, it was a full minute before he rushed to the side of the building to look for Loki, who was of course gone.

He still took the girl back to his bed.

The next day, he found a number for Lola in his phone and a note in his pocket naming another club and a date, but not a time.

He waited a whole week before he called the number. It went straight to voice mail: "It is your choice, Stark. Show or do not show, bring information to your team or do not. I can find other methods of amusing myself."

On the one hand, Loki. Typically a bad idea. On the other hand, most fun he's had ever!

Tony Stark did not typically chose the safest way to do anything and everyone always did say his priorities were out of whack. If Loki had wanted to do something, he'd had the entire night. Well... she... and that was when he freaked out and remembered God of Mischief and what he thought was one hell of body shot.

Well.

Once you do body shots off your shape-shifting enemy, how do you decide not to party with them a second time? I mean, come on?

He didn't tell SHIELD or his team or, most importantly, Thor. That seemed like a bad idea. All of those seemed like a bad idea. Actually, all of this was a bad idea, but at least he liked his bad ideas. SHIELD's ideas were just stupid.

The date for next month was at a club he'd never heard of. 'Lola' showed up an hour after he did, bought a dozen shots that she demanded he race her in knocking back (she won, but it was close), and then forced him to the dance floor. Loki had a thing for dancing, it seemed. Not that what he (she?) did could be considered dancing in any legal capacity.

The next morning he woke up with a hang over, red headed twins in his bed, a new number for Lola in his phone, another note in his pocket, and memories of dancing with Lola and said twins table top. And it didn't end up in the news. Which was fantastic.

So yeah, God of Mischief, very good to party with. And, hey, while he was at it, maybe he'd work in talking up Thor. He'd heard stories of Asgard. If one god was this much fun, then two of them...

And speaking of two...

* * *

 

Natasha was undercover when she saw Loki outside of battle. It was outside of New York, in the full light of day, but even as a woman, the spy recognized the God of Mischief. They were at a high class casino run by one of the most profitable, but as of yet unproven, crime organizations and he (she) was chatting up her mark. Loki was piled with so many jewels she looked she glittered brighter tan the chandelier overhead, but it didn't look overdone like it might on most women. It looked... fitting. Complementary.

Loki looked highly surprised to find to see her there, eyes widening a moment, before slipping back into whatever role she was playing. Natasha didn't say anything. She was on the job. She didn't have time to be unduly distracted by Loki, if it was undue distraction, anyway. She spent the entire time more tense than she would have otherwise been, letting her hand hover closer to her weapon than she may have otherwise.

Finally, when her mark was temporarily distracted and Loki had moved away, Natasha went to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you observe that yourself?" Loki replied with innocent eyes.

Natasha narrowed her own.

Loki sighed. "I am Lady Lambridge," she said. "Tell me how to address you to avoid unnecessary slips of the tongue."

"Evelyn Endour."

"Well, lovely, Evelyn, I don't know what you know about having fun, but myself, I like to expand my circles. You couldn't have possibly thought all I did was play around with your little group?"

Natasha made a disbelieving noise, but in fact, she could perfectly believe that Loki would play anyone and everyone. She darted her eyes back toward the table with her mark and Loki moved closer. "What are you doing?"

"Be honest with me, Miss Endour," Loki said, looking her straight in her eyes. "These things are all gifts from that generous gentlemen you've had your eyes on all night. Courting gifts, if you will, though I have thus far rebuffed his advances."

"Your point," Natasha questioned.

"Will I be in need of another suitor?"

Natasha blinked in surprise, just once. The slightly dour look on Loki's face told her the god was serious, but she still had a time believing it. "Why?"

"Why?" Loki laughed, a soft feminine thing that matched with her look well. "It is not easy to find such wealthy, willing, toys that have a reason not to ask to many question and will give quiet so much to receive so little in turn. It is only courteous if you are to put an end to my fun to give me fair warning."

She studied his face for deception a little longer, but found none. She answered, "Yes."

Loki sighed dramatically. "Pity." Loki turned mournful eyes back to the man. "This one lied so very prettily."

Before she could respond, Loki moved back to the man's side, picking up the act as if it she had never ended it. Eventually, Natasha returned as well. Loki left not an hour after, sliding a napkin off the table as she left. Natasha recognized a sign when she saw one and moved to pick it up. Written in lipstick was a location and the words, 'Three days.'

Natasha was not one to ignore intel, even that from a shady source. Without mentioning Loki, she gave SHIELD the full details and they set up to watch. By night of that third day, they had all the proof they needed to take the man in, though his right hand man had mysterious gone missing just in time.

In another few months, when she saw Loki (again a woman) turn up at one of her undercover ops, she asked about him.

"I was short on time," Loki sighed. "I didn't have the luxury of being picky." Loki eyed her suspiciously a moment. "You re not here to ruin another of my hapless suitors, are you?"

"Depends," She smiled. "Which one is yours?"

Loki smiled. "I can hardly do all your work for you, Evelyn."

"No, of course not, Lady."

Loki grinned at that. "At least tell me that you are only going to do this here. You won't follow me all the way to Brazil, will you? Or one of those lovely European countries? I was planning a vacation."

Natasha looked toward her mark, but since he was in a crowd, she was sure that Loki wouldn't be able to pick him out. "I can hardly do all your work for you."

Over the next few days, while rarely spotting Loki, she decided to try to do a little digging on Lady Lambridge. What she got for her trouble was a lot of rumor mill and a possible apartment. She informed SHIELD of a potential Loki hideout and moved in as quickly as possible. What she found was an abandoned upscale apartment removed of any personal effects (if there had ever been anything like pictures or personal letters in the first place) and a folder sitting neatly on the cleared coffee table. The table was filled with pictures of her over the last two days along with similar information about her current cover. There was also a note: "You aren't the only one who can ask questions, Lovely Evelyn."

After that, it was rather a game. She didn't outright search for Loki, but occasionally when they crossed, he would leave hints. (And it was sometimes him.) And, occasionally, he would 'do her work for her.'

Her job became a lot more interesting on missions when she ran into the God of Mischief.

* * *

 

It had been a very bad day for Bruce. A battle with Hydra had gone bad and he found out, the hard and terrifying way, that they had developed counter measures for the Hulk. He woke up in one of their facilities strapped to a table, his system still half full of whatever they had drugged him with, and unable to quite focus on anything. He'd opened his eyes half a dozen times prior to nothing but an empty room. This time however, he seemed not to be alone.

He was still blinking sleepily when he was spoken to.

"I have always been curious about who would be the first to put you down," Loki said. "They always turn on their most dangerous allies long before they do their enemies." He spared a look away from what he was doing to look at Bruce. "I thought that it would be SHIELD. I am... disappointed."

"What... Loki..."

He smiled viciously at that. "Yes, Loki."

Trying to pull himself together, he focused on the room. Loki was standing at a computer, but he couldn't tell what the god was doing.

"I've also found it curious that you seem to take no damage after battle. I've never seen seen transformative magic quiet like yours. It's... curious. I've done all manner of spells trying to parse out precisely what you've done to yourself doctor, to no avail."

"What are..."

"What am I doing? What am I doing here? What are you doing here? What are your chances of escape?"

"Yes?"

Loki laughed. "To which?"

Taking to Loki was... frustrating, at the very least. He wasn't sure whether it was worse without the feeling of rage and imminent Hulk-out or worse to listen to his... what was Loki doing?

"You?" Bruce forced the words out with as much coherence as he could manage. "What... you?" He really didn't have a mind for focusing at the moment.

"Ah. What am I doing? Well, let us say that I am doing someone a favor. Let us say that I am repaying someone a debt. Let us say that I am... amassing good will. And let us say that I am... staying ahead of the competition."

Bruce was a little slow to process those words, but Loki didn't seem in a hurry for him to understand anyway. "Why?"

Loki laughed again, playful and haughty. "Because I am very skilled at multitasking, doctor."

Loki finally finished what he was doing and waved his hand in Bruce's direction. His mind became almost immediately clear. "What?"

"You are fond of that word today, aren't you?" Loki muttered teasingly. "You should know that you are in very dire circumstances, doctor." Loki put his hand against the wall Bruce hadn't even noticed was there. He was inside a containment cage. "Would you like to make a deal doctor?"

"No," Bruce said immediately. Because making deals with Gods of Mischief seemed like a mistake of Faustian proportions.

Loki wasn't to be dissuaded. "It is a very simply deal. All you must do is promise, and I mean give me your solemn word, Bruce Banner, that you will not mention that I was here, and I shall free you from your restraints and even open this door."

"Why would you do that?"

"I very much do not want it to be known that I was here, doctor," Loki answered with a serious look, meeting his eyes. Loki held the look for a moment before he looked away and smiled. "I also think that it will be more amusing later, if you are free. This place could use a bit of a making over by that beast inside you, if you ask me."

"And if I don't make your deal?" Bruce asked.

"The way bargains are typically struck, doctor, is that you give to get, am I wrong?" Loki drawled. "If you do not give, then you do not get."

"And what do you get out of this?"

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "You mortals are especially dull witted creatures, aren't you? I just told you I wish anonymity of the actions I've taken here. It is no wonder your kind fall prey to every species you encounter, if you cannot even work out so simple a thing that is plainly before you."

"I was just heavily sedated not two minutes ago," Bruce pointed out.

Loki waved a hand as if that was entirely irreverent. "You are clear headed, now, are you not?"

Bruce thought, but really, couldn't see much down side in simply not telling anyone that Loki was here. "Alright. I won't tell anyone."

"Excellent," Loki grinned. With a flick of his wrist, the restraints were gone. "I'd wait until the fun started before attempting to leave." Then Loki was gone.

Bruce didn't know what Loki was talking about, but he decided to wait a few minutes, just in case there was something to the advice.

Ten minutes later there was utter chaos.

Bruce fled during the first sounds of panic and disorder to find no less than pure chaos outside and inside the facility. The Avengers had come for him, as did SHIELD. As did Doom and a few other enemies he could hardly parse out in the tangle of uncoordinated battle. And it... wasn't very clear what side anyone was on. The Avengers and SHIELD didn't seem to be working together, exactly, but he couldn't tell much more than that. The title God of Chaos came to mind as he looked around. Objectively, it had to be some of Loki's best work, but he didn't know what had been done to cause this.

Iron Man was the first to find him. "Bruce, buddy, you okay? You... are free and walking around?"

"Someone let me go," Bruce answered. Might as well get that out the way, even if he wasn't going to tell them it was Loki. For now. "What's... going on here?"

Tony raised is face plate. "It seems... word got around that Hydra found a way to take you out and everyone came to collect. It also seems as that SHIELD was the one that developed it and Hydra just grabbed it from them. To them, this is a mission to wipe out everything before more enemies get it. For us, it's about that and rescuing you and protecting you from SHIELD."

"How did you know where to find me?" It was not usually easy to locate Hydra bases, even if they did seem to be everywhere. Hell, probably because of that.

Iron Man paused for only a moment. "A chain of anonymous tips," He finally answered. "To us and to SHIELD and a few... other sources..."

By the time Bruce really wondered if Loki had done it, he realized that he had already fully decided that was the case.

"Come on, I've got Jarvis wiping everything they've got of you and I already took care of SHIELD. Partially why they're so frantically trying to get whatever they can back from Hydra, but they clearly cannot be trusted to keep a secret, so they lose computer privileges."

"You talk like they're grounded."

Tony smiled wildly at that. "Mommy and Daddy gave them a stern talking to and sent them to their room without dinner."

"You mean..."

"Me and Cap."

"So which is..."

"Let's answer the hard questions later, yeah?"

Later, when The Avengers decided it might be better to cut more ties with SHIELD, for all that they were mostly independent by that point anyway, Bruce really had to hand it to Loki. He partially wondered if Loki was the reason that Hydra got their hands of the drug in the first place or if Loki was just being opportunistic.

* * *

 

Tony was the first one to get caught. He was getting ready to leave, same as Natasha, with Clint watching them both avidly.

"So, where's our favorite assassin off to this time?" Tony asked curiously.

"I've got a date with Lady," Natasha answered, her face and tone completely neutral, making it impossible to tell whether or not she was joking.

"She means mission!" Clint interjected.

"Ah, yes! Your mysterious contact that SHIELD has fallen all over itself to trace." Tony smiled. Dangerous as it was, he really loved showing off that he knew things SHIELD didn't want him to know. "I thought we were done with SHIELD?"

"We are," Natasha answered.

"So then, why the date?"

"Mission!" Clint objected.

"Unless it really is a date this time?" Tony hedged.

The sides of her lips quirked, barely masking a smile. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes," Clint grumbled.

Natasha pinched his arm.

"Ow!"

"We have cut with SHIELD. That's why I'm looking for her. She's my asset now, I don't want her to become SHIELD's."

"It didn't seem like there was any danger of that," Tony replied.

"Last mission I had, she was... unusually close. I want to be certain we don't... meet under bad circumstances."

"Aw," Tony said. "Our little assassin's made a friend!"

"Can it, Stark!"

"Have fun with your mission," Tony replied while Clint grumbled some more. "Don't come back dead!"

Natasha simply waved over her shoulder.

Tony, being Tony, didn't think anything at all strange about Clint's watching him for the hour before he finally left. In fact, excited as he was for seeing 'Lola,' he didn't pay much attention to anything. And he really wasn't paying attention when he walked into the bar to find Lola sitting between a stunningly long legged blond woman and devastatingly handsome red haired man. Smiling as she turned, she proclaimed, "Take your pick, Stark!" Once fully turned, she froze, then slowly she thawed enough to frown. "Oh dear. I don't suppose you invited him."

"What?" He turned quickly to see Clint standing frozen a few feet away. "Shit." He took a few steps toward Clint, hoping that this was not about to get quickly out of hand and that he hadn't just lost his chance to pick between two very attractive and hand picked Loki gifts. (Loki was very good at picking out gifts. He'd learned that after the twins. It seemed to amuse him to no end, especially when Tony heaped on the praise afterwards.) "Um... this isn't... what it looks like?"

Except Tony wasn't exactly sure what it looked like and anyway, yes it was. He decided that the best defense was a very hasty offense.

"What are you even doing here?"

"I was gonna follow Nat but she hates when I try to shadow her when she's looking for 'Lady' so I thought I'd follow you instead," Clint answered. Tony... should have expected something like that. Clint pulled that sneaky shit in the tower all the time. "What," Clint began, "Are you doing with Loki."

"Lola," Tony corrected before he thought better of it.

"Lola!" He exclaimed louder and Tony was glad the place was so loud, at the moment. "That Lola? The 'Best Person To Party With Ever', Lola? The never free when we ask to meet her, Lola? The 'We Made Out On A Table And Did Body Shots,' Lola?"

"Jesus, Barton, yes! That Lola." Tony admitted. Not like he could deny it.

"How long?"

"Look, it's not like we're--"

"How long, Tony?" Clint repeated.

Tony wasn't able to judge just how deeply fucked he was, so he tried for vague. "I don't know... a few months?" More like a year.

"And you didn't think to tell the team about this?" Clint asked.

"She's not--" At the look Barton gave him, he quickly amended, "He's not doing anything bad! I mean, nothing... evil! I mean, nothing that destroys cities evil. Unless she's on the dance floor, then she might be a little--"

"Shut up, Stark," Lola said from behind him. Tony stiffened. He had absolutely no idea what to do with this situation. Lola went on. "I had meant to allow you a choice, but if Barton would like to join us, it is only polite to let our guest have first pick."

Damn. That was so not fair. He'd been hoping he could talk her into giving up both. He could take one for the team if he had to, but that didn't mean he wanted to.

Barton glared at Loki long and hard before finally speaking. "You," He stabbed a finger at Loki, "pay for everything that I do tonight."

Lola smiled sweetly and dangerously. "Oh, Barton, you are going to have to pay for your own actions tonight. Worry not, however. All expenses while we are within this establishment have already been covered."

With a glare, he went and took a seat next to the Blond and Tony swore. Lola pat the back of his hand. "There, there, mortal, next time."

Tony ran a hand over his face, swearing inwardly. "Fuck, what am I missing out on?" Because he couldn't not swear outwardly, too.

She shook her head. "You think me a cruel god? One that would tease you with knowledge of forbidden fruits once the sweet prize had been snatched from your hand?"

Tony groaned. He hated (loved) when she spoke to him that way, as if she knew something that he didn't. As if she were a god and he was a lowly thrall that she bestowed her favor upon. (Wasn't that just the case?) "Yes," He answered her. Not because that was the answer, though it could be, she could be very cruel, but because that was the answer that would make her tell him what he wanted to know.

She sighed with longing and he kicked himself for asking already. For not paying attention when he'd left the tower. "Oh, she was a talented thing. You would have loved her. A student of dance and gymnastic and the prettiest voice if you know how to... " She shook her head and sighed again. "Oh, Stark. I wonder if you will even get to enjoy my other gift. He is just as impressive, I assure you."

Tony let out a pained groan, again. "Don't tease me."

"Oh, but what fun would that be?"

Barton was glaring at them, and she pulled away to move back toward her place. As she passed the blond, Lola pinched lightly at her backside and the woman made the prettiest noise of surprise.

"My apologies," Lola said and flashed him a grin.

This night had become entirely unfair.

* * *

 

The next morning, Clint went to meet Loki. The god was already waiting, book in hand, looking perfectly put together as if they hadn't parted company barely three hours ago. He decided the best way to address his concerns was loudly. "What the fuck was that?"

Loki looked up at him with disinterest. "Is there a problem, Barton?"

"Hell yes, there's a problem! What the hell where you doing out with Tony?"

Loki sighed heavily and closed his book. It was the picture of exasperation and patience, one leg crossed over the other, one hand in his lap and the other dangling the book off to he side. "It is called having fun. I thought you understood the idea after the olives..."

"No, Loki, I'm serious. What the hell was that? You can't just... You can't..."

"I can't what, Barton?"

"I've been trying to get you to talk to Thor for ages and you've been partying with Tony this whole time?" Barton yelled. "All of your reasons for avoiding him are utter bullshit!"

"Untrue."

"No more of that villains and hero's crap, talk to Thor!"

"I do what I want, Barton."

"What the fuck is the point of us meeting here if you're perfectly willing to--"

"I did not chose us to meet here, Barton, you did." Loki stood and walked toward him. "And I did not chose to instead meet with Stark in such a way. You did not ask for anything other than this. I did not know that you wanted it."

"Liar!"

Loki smiled, reaching out to slid his hand along Clint's cheek. "That I am. That I will always be. I do have the capability to speak truth, however. The truth is this, Agent Barton: You're the one that decided SHIELD could not know, that hides our meetings so carefully from your Avengers, that fears being called compromised once more. Perhaps I did not tell you that you had the power to change our dynamics, but neither am I the one that set them up." Loki walked past him to the door. "Before you think ill of my treatment of you, Barton, consider that no one knows that I took interest in Stark, either."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, fist balled up. "I could have... we could have..."

"Would you have?"

"Why, Loki?"

"Why did not you? Why did not he? Consider this, Barton. If you become 'comprised' who shall be blamed? Would they turn on you or lash out at me?"

Clint didn't answer and when he finally turned toward the door, Loki was gone.

* * *

  
Tony woke to an arrow right above his face. He did Not scream when he saw it and the noise he made was merely in surprise of falling out the bed right after. The archer crouched on his bedside table merely lowered the bow to follow him. "Jesus, Clint! You trying to kill me?"

"Do I need to?"

"What?" Tony so could not deal with this. Whatever this was. "What gives, Jarvis! A maniac points an arrow at me and don't give me warning or anything?"

"My apologies, sir, but I was certain that Agent Barton would not hurt you before you awakened." Jarvis replied.

"Real comforting, Jarvis."

"I suggest that you tread carefully, sir."

"Yeah, thanks," Tony replied sarcastically. He considered, if he was about to die, there was really no reason to get up off the floor.

Clint sighed and lowered his bow. "What's up with last night, Stark?"

"I don't even remember last night," Tony groaned.

Clint just raised his bow again.

"Right, right, Loki. I get it." He stood as the bow was lowered. Not that that was any real comfort, either. He'd seen how fast Clint could et off a shot. "So, I went out one night and accidentally ran into her at a club. It was awesome, we did it again."

"How do you contact him?"

"At first, she'd slip me notes telling me where she next planned to be and what time. And every time I meet her she puts a new number into my phone, that she never answers by the way! Just has stupidly specific voice mails like she knows whatever I was going to say already." Tony gave a long suffering sigh.

"You didn't think to share this with the team?" Clint asked.

"I was planning to. Eventually," Tony said. "But, god, those have been the parties of the my life. And I've been trying to talk her into seeing Thor but she always distract me with... things..."

"Like the olives?" Clint asked.

"Yeah, except usually it's other people. One minute we're talking about Thor, the next I've got some drop dead gorgeous brunette in my lap and I can't remember why I should think about anything but the hand in my--"

"TMI!" Clint yelled.

"Right." Tony sighed again. "Well, yeah, that."

It was silent for a minute before Clint spoke. "Me, too."

"You, too, what?"

"I meet with him, too."

"Wha-- Why?" Tony asked. "You hate Loki."

"Everyone assumes I hate Loki. I don't actually talk about Loki to you guys."

"Because you hate Loki."

Clint shrugged. "I never said that. Not even when I lied to Nat about how it felt being mind controlled by him."

"Whoa, okay. Lot of truth in he room today," Tony said, standing. Whatever this conversation was and where ever it was going, he needed coffee, now.

"I tried to get him to talk to Thor, too. It was a no go."

Clint followed Tony out of the room. He was glad that he had a coffee maker on his floor. He didn't want to risk the others hearing this conversation. "So, how long have you been seeing Loki?"

Clint flushed. Interesting. "I'm not... seeing him. We just... meet up sometimes. Practice our aim or whatever."

"Hold up!" Tony said. "You've been sparing with our enemy?"

"You've been partying with him!"

"Her."

"Whatever!"

"And that's not what I mean. I was wondering if your shots seemed to be getting better. You've been cheating!"

"What?"

"Sparring with a god!"

"We spar with Thor all the time!"

"That's not the same thing and you know it! He holds back on us all the time and tries to act all mortal-ish. Loki wouldn't --"

"How would you know?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Is there... something you want to share with the class?"

Clint looked away. "No."

"Okay..."

Silence fell between them a moment.

"So..." Tony began. "What do we do about this? Do you we tell the others?"

Clint was silent for a moment. "I won't." He set his jaw, eyes determined.

"Great! That settles that," Tony declares. "The others would just want to ruin my fun anyway. Aaaand, speaking of fun, wanna come next time?" Tony grinned cheekily as he waves around a piece of paper with date and location.

A smile crossed Clint's lips in turn.

* * *

 

It was a week later that Natasha returned from her self imposed mission, less successful than she had desired. In the end, she'd had to give up her pursuit when she found that SHIELD was following her too closely. It was very early in the morning when she returned and she had expected to meet Steve while he was on his run. She did not expect to find him sitting at a coffee shop that she was certain was barely open across from Loki. She had her weapon in her hand in a moment. Loki spotted her in the next. He leaned forward, said something to Steve, then disappear.

Natasha walked over to Steve, who looked frustrated and put out. "What was that, Cap?"

He startled at her sudden appearance. "Natasha!"

She slid into the seat recently vacated by Loki. "You in the habit of having coffee with the enemy?"

"No. Well, not exactly."

She raised an eyebrow t him and waited for him to explain.

Steve let out a breath. "I was trying to convince him that he should talk to Thor. I tried talking to him in battle and one day, when the fighting was almost down, he said if I was going to nag him anyway then he might as well get something out of it and he teleported us to a coffee stand and demanded that I buy him something as recompense for his suffering." Steve rolled his eyes as if such a thing were so normal he didn't even think about it anymore. "After that, he'd find me after battles and make me buy him things to make up for boring him with lectures. Sometimes he catches me when I come for a run."

"You didn't think to tell SHIELD?" She asked.

"I didn't think it was a good idea, at first. He hates SHIELD, I think, and he was listening to me, so thought that I could..."

"Get him to stop?"

"Or at least get him to talk to Thor." Steve sighed and sunk down further in his chair. "He won't budge on that so far. He really hates talking about Thor, actually, but he'll talk about almost anything else."

"You ask him where he's staying?" She asked.

He smiled at her. "Yes. He said that I was not clever and then told me he moves around a lot." Steve paused. "You know he's friends with Doom?"

"We see them in battle together all the time."

Steve shook is head. "No, I mean, Loki fights in battle with a lot of people, he actually likes Doom. He told me they get along well. I said he was a bad influence and he told me that if I was worried about bad influences, I shouldn't hang out with assassins and Tony Stark. Though he admitted he rather approved of making friends with assassins." Steve shook his head. "I don't think he's all that bad."

Natasha's eyes were on the table, but she resisted the urge to make any nervous movements. "How long has this..."

"Geez, I don't even know. He doesn't talk to me regularly. I've seen him a lot more the past month or so."

"Since we broke with SHIELD?"

"I guess so, yeah."

Natasha was quiet for a while longer. "We should tell the team."

"You think so?"

"I do."

Steve nodded and sat up. "Alright." He took a breath. "Alright."

The two of the went back to the tower and Natasha said, "Wait, maybe just Clint and Tony, first?"

Steve furrowed his eyebrows.

"Thor would just be more distraught if we told him that his brother was talking to you and not him and Bruce might... " She tried to hide her flinch. "Not react well."

"You're right." Steve agreed. "We should handle this delicately."

Delicately, it turned out, was Natasha saying, as soon as four were in the room together, "Steve and I talk to Loki."

"What?" All three reacted at once. They exchanged a series of looks, Tony and Clint with each other, then looking at Steve as if wondering why he was confused, then with each other again.

Finally, Clint said carefully, "Explain."

"I caught Cap having coffee with Loki this morning. He says it's a regular thing."

"Not... regular," Steve winced. "He's talked to me a few times after battle, but it isn't... I never know before hand when he's going to show up, he just does. Sometimes twice in a week, sometimes not once in a month."

"And you... have coffee..." Tony began, looking at Clint once more.

"Sometimes," Steve said. "Not always. Usually he makes me buy him something at a stand somewhere because he claims I lecture him too much."

"Understandable," Tony nodded.

"And this has been happening for..." Clint urged him.

"A while. A few months, I guess," Steve replied.

Clint made a contemplative noise.

Tony looked to Natasha. "So, what, you, too?"

"Loki is Lady," Natasha said.

"What?" Tony exclaimed.

"That... actually makes sense." Clint mused.

"The first few times we ran into each other was a coincidence, then it became a... game of sorts." She looked around at all of them. "He isn't talking to me right, now."

"Why? Because of not coincidentally running into each other anymore?" Tony questioned.

"No. Last time we talked I tried to convince him to talk to Thor and I haven't seen him since." Natasha paused, but her lip. "He usually leaves... clues. Hints on how to find him, he didn't leave anything last time. That's why I..."

"Huh." Tony said. "Well, that makes this much easier."

"What?" Steve asked.

"Loki is Lola."

"What?" Steve repeated.

"Yeah. He seems to like hiding out as a woman. I almost didn't even recognize him the first time. Wouldn't have if he hadn't told me. More or less."

"And..." Clint began hesitantly. "I've been seeing him, too. Once a week. For a few months. We spar or whatever."

"But I thought you--"

"I don't," Clint interrupted Steve.

Natasha sat back in her chair. "So you two tried to talk him around, too?"

"Yeah," Clint agreed.

"Me, too. Sometimes. When I remember." Tony said. "He's really good at distracting people."

Clint nodded emphatically.

"So, what now?" Natasha asked. "Half he team is already talking to him. Thor... wouldn't like that..."

"He'd be really hurt," Steve concluded.

"Should we really keep this from him, though?" Clint asked. "I mean one of us doing us, yeah, but... this is more than half the team. It sucks that his brother doesn't want to see him, but... kinda of a dick move to keep it from him, right?"

"Yeah, bird brain's right. We should probably tell him." Tony agreed. 

"No time like the present," Steve said. 


	2. Chapter 2

The second time that Bruce was alone with Loki was after another of their large battles. The Hulk had gotten separated from the others and he came to amid a wreckage of destroyed warehouse and defeated henchmen, still alive, he was grateful to find. Bruce groaned as he sat up. This was the second most unpleasant thing about being the Hulk, waking up in the middle of god knows what he'd done. (The first, of course, was the mere fact of turning into a green rage monster.)

"Ah, you're awake Doctor Banner."

Bruce jolted up then, staring at Loki, whom was situated atop of the still intact support beams, at a height the Hulk was unlikely to have seen him if he had hidden. He bristled as Loki made a movement, not wanting to return to being the Hulk again so soon, but Loki only tossed a pair of pants down at him.

"I believe these would make you more comfortable, doctor." Loki was grinning down at him. Bruce stared at the pants suspiciously a moment before Loki spoke again. "Come now, doctor, they are only pants."

"From you, nothing is ever 'only' anything," Bruce replied. He put the pants on anyway, because he was just not comfortable, trap or no trap, talking to Loki without wearing pants. "What are you doing here?"

Loki's grin widened. "You do not wish to know what you are doing here?"

Bruce frowned, looking around once more. He didn't recognize where he was, but he had a pretty good idea of what had happened. "I thought it was obvious."

"Hmm. In a manner of speaking," Loki replied noncommittally.

Bruce frowned again, not wanting to play this game with Loki. Everyone had to play this game with Loki (he didn't remember much about the battles he fought in, but pre and post battle, Loki seemed to be the same), the game where Loki talked you in a circle until it became a triangle, but the game only lasted longer when it was not indulged. They had all learned that grudgingly. So, taking a deep breaths and letting out an overly exasperated sigh, Bruce asked, "What am I doing here, Loki?"

"Your beast chased after me and I thought I would provide him with better targets."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at that, looking at the dispatched henchmen. Now that he thought about it, they had been in a battle with Doom, whose only henchmen were robots, so who had he taken out? They weren't civilians, that much was obvious by looks alone, but the large amount of weapons that littered the ground were also a giveaway. Bruce pressed his lips together, his only response a vague hum. He didn't know what he meant by that, but then again, he in't know what Loki meant by this.

"Also, I am in need of another favor from you."

Ah. This made sense.

"Why would I do you favor?" Bruce asked.

"For one, it would be quite helpful if you were able to locate your teammates, yes?" Loki asked. "I do not believe that you know where you have found yourself, do you doctor? And you certainly don't know where the fight ended up. It is not likely to be a quick stroll."

Bruce looked about, still not recognizing anything. Hesitantly, very hesitantly, he asked, "What sort of favor?"

"A simple thing," Loki said and he jumped down holding out two envelopes. "I want you to give these to Thor." Bruce eyed the colored envelopes, one green and one red, not taking them. Loki didn't seem perturbed. On one, Loki Odinson was written and Loki Laufeyson was written on the other. "Tell him that he may only open one, tell him to chose wisely, and tell no one else that I asked this of you."

"Why?"

"Because I wish to prove, to myself, that Thor listens to nothing I say."

"What does that have to do with these?" Bruce questioned.

Loki sighed dramatically, as if he was very put upon by having to answer. "It is a test. He will chose wrong."

"How do you know?"

"Because he always chooses wrong."

"Isn't this just a trick for him?"

"No." Loki answered. "They are not usually tricks, merely traps. It is not my fault that he falls for them."

"Is this a trap?"

"Will you do me this favor or not?" Loki questioned impatiently.

Bruce wasn't sure why he was being so... inquisitive. That wasn't usually his thing. He left that Tony and, more subtly, to Natasha. One could never be too careful when dealing with a god of mischief, however, nor too clever.

"That's two favors," He said. Loki raised an eyebrow. "You want to deliver these to Thor and to keep quiet about it. Not to mention it's probably a trap."

Loki rolled is eyes. "Thor will make it trap. Anyone else on your ridiculous little team would chose correctly in a heartbeat."

"That's still two favors that you want."

"Very well," Loki sighed. "I shall... owe you a debt if you keep your silence. A small one, and nothing that would endanger or greatly trouble me."

"Will this hurt anyone?"

"No one but Thor and not... hazardously."

"Deal," Bruce said slowly, after having thought it over. He had only just taken the envelopes from Loki's grasp when he suddenly found himself with the team. Still in battle. He ducked behind a car as someone was thrown past him.

Really, he shouldn't be surprised. Loki never promised to deliver him safely.

* * *

 

Once he had a moment alone, he gave the envelopes to Thor and stayed to watch him open them, delivering the message that Loki had told him to.

Thor picked the one that said Loki Odinson.

The envelope... exploded, is the closest thing Bruce could call it and words appeared on Thor's arms in thick black ink. They were in a language that Bruce couldn't read, but Thor related that they were slanderous against Odin and Thor, both. The other envelope simple burst into flames, the slip of paper within slightly slipping out as it fell to the ground. Before it burned completely, Bruce spied what looked like an address, but he couldn't be certain.

* * *

 

The third time he spoke to Loki, a month later, was right before a battle. Loki seemed to be doing more observing than anything when they arrived and Bruce held back on transforming as a clone of Loki (he assumed it was a clone) went straight for Cap and the others began to split off. He went to Loki, not seeing the need to change just yet.

"If you want to talk to your brother, why don't you just do it?" Bruce asked immediately.

Loki stared at him curiously, obviously startled, but trying not t show it. "Why would you believe that I wish to speak with Thor?"

"You sent him those envelopes."

"And what did those do? Did you see?" Loki replied with a partial grimace.

"I saw the other one. There was an address."

"Just a larger trick."

"You don't play tricks, isn't that what you said?" Bruce questioned. Loki turned away from whatever minor interest he'd been taking in the battle to face Bruce. "Why don't you just make up with your brother, already? That's clearly what you want."

"He is not my brother," Loki responded automatically.

"He could be."

"I do not want him to be my brother!" Loki yelled.

"Then what do you want?"

Loki looked angry, like he as about to blow, and Bruce tensed, prepared to let the hulk out if needed, but then Loki visibly reigned himself in. "That is none of your concern," Loki answered, voice and face blank.

"You said you owe me a debt last time, didn't you?"

Loki's eyes narrowed and darkened dangerously. "And you would use it for what, exactly?"

"I want you to talk to Thor, honestly, no trick and traps, and I don't want you to stop until you both understand each other."

Loki pressed his lips together, just barely not a frown. "I believe I specified nothing that would greatly trouble me."

"Talking to your brother will not greatly trouble you."

"He is not my brother," Loki answered. "And you know not of what you speak."

"I don't have to, it's between you and Thor. What I do know," Bruce continued before Loki could interject, "Is that the guy can't go one week without mentioning how sad or sorry he is about what happened between you two."

"And you blame me for the fact that Thor cannot keep his moaning to himself?" Loki snapped.

"No," Bruce answered, "But you are the source of the problem that he's complaining about and as his friend i'd like to see a resolution."

"The resolution could be that I finally kill him!" Loki snapped.

Bruce didn't flinch at Loki's outburst. "You owe me a debt, Loki, that's what I want. It's doesn't have to be all at once, but you can be honest with Thor without trying to tear the guy apart."

"I can also tear him apart without the use of a trap!" Loki snapped. "This is what you will have? I do this and my debt to you is done?"

"Yes. You cannot stop talking to Thor until the two of you understand each other, though."

"Fine!" Loki yelled and instantly he was across the battlefield standing before Thor, anger flashing in his eyes. "You and I will never be what once we were!" Loki yelled. "I do not want you as a brother to me and I will not have that from you, again!" Thor withdrew as if he'd been slapped, not having seen the verbal blow coming. Loki stared at him a while longer, then his gaze moved to rest on Bruce, vindictive satisfaction (and something else) on his face before he vanished.

Bruce felt as if he'd slapped Thor himself.

* * *

 

Bruce had never been a very social person, even before he had the Hulk to deal with and that persisted with the team, even though he made a bit more of effort with them. Still, he was more one to stay quietly on the sidelines.

So, he noticed, and thought that it was very strange, when Tony started going on and on about some woman named Lola at the same time that Natasha began name dropping Lady who was somehow connected with her missions and Steve started hanging out more outside the Tower without really mentioning why.

He noticed, but he didn't really know what it meant. Well, not until this moment. His eyes were slightly larger as he stared at his team, all of whom had apparently been having steady contact with Loki without any one the wiser. Loki was... well, he guessed one didn't earn the name Trickster for no reason.

"So, let me get this straight," Bruce began, taking off his glasses and cleaning them, simply a habit. "You're all friends with Loki."

Steve looked the most uncomfortable, like he wished they had decided to talk to Thor first, like they told him they had thought to do, instead of remembering to add him to that discussion last minute. Clint and Tony looked more worried about his reaction and Natasha didn't have any expression.

"Yes," Tony answered for them all.

Bruce really didn't know how he was suppose to react to this. He made a noncommittal sound in the back of is throat. He really didn't know what to do with this information.

"Hey," Tony began cautiously. "Any chance you..."

At that, the others all looked at him with varying expressions of surprise and expectancy, waiting for him to answer. Bruce sighed. "Not the way that you all seem to," He began to. "We've... spoken, but it was more an exchange of favors than anything."

"What he do for you?" Clint asked in surprise.

Bruce opened his mouth, then closed it. "I gave my word not to say."

"Huh." Tony replied.

"So, we're going to tell Thor about..." He waved his hands at them all. "This."

"Yes," Steve replied.

"Well, I'd very much like to see how this turns out." Because aside from that time on the battlefield, Bruce didn't know how what he was asking for had worked out. Well, except that Loki seemed not to have killed Thor, yet.

Nodding, Steve turned to lead them away, hesitant but determined.

* * *

 

There were sounds coming from Thor's room when they approached and they all exchanged worried looks as Steve knocked on the door. Everything in the room went silent and then Thor wrenched the door open only enough that he could poke his head out. "Friends!" Thor greeted.

"Hey, Thor, is... are you alright?" Steve asked.

Thor frowned. "Why do you think I would be otherwise?"

"We thought we heard something break."

"Do not trouble yourselves, it was nothing of importance," Thor said. Then Thor seemed to notice that the whole team was there and looked at them all more closely. "Is there... something amiss?" He questioned.

"Well... no..." Steve began.

"Listen, big guy, we have something to tell you that you might not be too happy to hear..." Tony interjected.

"What is it?"

The group exchanged looks a moment before Tony continued. "Well, we just found out that, um, we've all been... kinda... hanging out with your brother..."

Thor's eyes widened and he stood up straighter, hand ripping the door and pulling it open further as he stepped more out of the room. "What?"

"We were... um... just having a discussion..." Tony began.

"None of us knew that anyone else on the team was talking to Loki, but it seems he's been talking to all of us," Clint said.

"We tried to convince him to talk to you," Steve began, cut off by Thor's mumbled words.

"Loki did not mention this to me..."

"Wait what?" Tony questioned. "What do you mean?"

Thor looked away, inside his room, before turning back to his friends. "Has... my brother caused some trouble or mischief upon you?"

"No..." Tony hesitated. "Well, maybe... if you count... probably... this seemed kinda like mischief to me, but we're not... we aren't here to complain. We just... thought that you might... want to know..."

"Yes, I thank you, friends," Thor smiled at them all. "I fear Loki would never have told me himself of his association with you."

"Well, yeah," Tony said, before he could stop himself. "I mean, he din't even tell any of us, who he was actively seeking out, and he doesn't talk to you, so..." Tony was wincing by the time he got to the end of his statement, cursing himself for letting his words get away from and feeling his teammates eyes on him.

Thor's expression was somewhere between a frown and a pout. "How long has... how long?"

They all exchanged looks before Natasha answered. "A few months."

Thor looked back into his bedroom once more before turning to them. "He never told me..."

Steve and Tony exchanged looks before tony spoke up. "Well, he doesn't do much talking to you during battles."

"I do not only see my brother battles," Thor answered dejectedly, looking into his room once more.

"Wait, what?" Clint exclaimed. "Are you saying that Loki comes to see you?"

Thor turned to face Clint, an unhappy, puzzled expression on his face. "Yes."

The group, excluding Bruce, looked incredible surprised by this.

"What?" Steve began. "But, if that... but you were so sad about things not being as they were..."

"Aye," Thor nodded. "Loki refuses to call himself my brother still, it is... vexing..." A muffled sound came from somewhere and Thor shifted to look in his room again.

"So... you and your brother... talk?" Tony questioned. "On a regular basis... and you're still..."

Thor sighed heavily and moved to lean on the door frame, letting the door fall open marginally wider. "My brother has no interest in mending the rift between us. He is... he will not... He says that he will be my brother no more and though he meets with me, we have not come to any understanding. I am... conflicted."

The others took this in a moment before Natasha asked, "Who's in your room Thor?"

Thor stood suddenly straight, looking caught, and the movement caused him to bump the door, pushing it open to reveal Loki sitting on Thor's bed looking impatient and, despite being fully clothed, vaguely indecent. At the door opening, Loki sat up, speaking before glancing toward them. "I've not got all day Thor, will you accept or not..." Loki looked surprised to see them all there. "Oh." He looked to Thor. "I see this will have to... wait..."

"Loki!" The exclamation came from several voice at once.

Loki nodded at them once, then strode up to Thor. "I will say this once more, Thor." He pushed the blond against the wall and the others stepped forward, slightly alarmed. "You will have me in your life on my terms or not at all. I will not be your brother!" His voice dropped low. "Now admit what is between us or do not call upon me again. Obviously you know how you can contact me, now." He waved a hand toward the others.

"But Loki!"

Loki darted forward and pressed a kiss to Thor's lips. It was chaste, but by no means short. "Your move, Thor."

Then Loki was gone.

Thor made a pained sound in the back of his throat, his eyes big and sorrowful as he turned to the other Avengers. They were all silent a moment before Tony chose to speak. "So... I guess the brother thing isn't so much your problem..."

"No, it is not." Thor admitted quietly.

"Huh. Well." Tony said, at a loss.

"I never thought my request would turn out this way," Bruce mumbled.

"Request?" Natasha asked.

Bruce looked surprised at suddenly being the focus of attention. "Um, Loki owed me a favor and I asked him to talk to Thor honestly until they came to an understanding."

"Huh." Tony repeated. "So for once... it's all Bruce's fault!"

"What--"

"Yes, I'm good with that," Clint agreed. "This is your fault Bruce."

"My-- but--" Bruce tried to object.

"Be careful what you wish for," Natasha said with a small smile on her lips.

"Now that we're all..." He stole a quick glance at Thor before continuing, "Friends with Loki, will he... can we all... hang out together?"

Tony and Clint began to leave, followed my Natasha. "I don't see why not," Tony shrugged.

"Wait, friends!" Thor called. They stopped to look back at him. "What do you believe that I should do? About Loki?"

"Um..." They all exchanged looks.

"I don't think we can, um, really give you much advice Thor," Steve answered hesitantly. "The situation seems... complicated."

"Yeah, this family stuff..." Tony paused. "Not-family stuff... Shit, this situation is out of my area of expertise. This just taught me not to try and mess with Loki's business. If you guys start doing it or something--" a sound of objection from one of the Avengers and a whine from Thor, "--then you can ask for my advice, but this is on you."

"Yeah, I'm with Tony on this one," Bruce said. "The apart about staying out of it.

"I'll give you my opinion," Clint said, but Natasha clamped her hand over his mouth.

"I think we've already got your opinion." The two exchanged a look before Clint looked away. "That's what I thought."

"Wanna share with the class?" Tony asked.

"No!" Clint scowled and stomped off. "I need a drink."

"You and me both!" Tony agreed.

The others trailed after, Steve adding an awkward, "Good luck," in Thor's direction.

Thor sighed and closed the door to his room. He waited all of five seconds before saying aloud. "I am... in love with you, too, Loki."

Loki appeared next to him. "Was that so very difficult to admit?"

"But Loki--"

"There are no buts, Thor," Loki said sternly. "You either want me as I want you, and we are not brother, or you do not, and we are not brothers, still."

Sighing, Thor pulled Loki close. "You could have told me you befriended them. Then we would not have had to--"

"That would have made it too easy on you, Thor."

"And you could not make it easy for me," Thor sighed.

"I am not easy, Thor, you know that."

Thor smiled. "Yes, I do know it Loki."


End file.
